The Slayer's White Knight
by Barefoot XO
Summary: With the activation of River Tam as the slayer, suddenly everyone wants to kill her or convert her. Her only hope lies in Serenity's crew and the slayer's white knight.
1. The Director

I don't own Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Firefly. The characters likewise. Percival Giles *is* the descendant of Rupert, but is obviously not much like him.

* * *

 **The Director**

 _Londinium, Central World of the Alliance_  
August 15th 2518

"Gloria Hansen is dead, Director Giles…"

Percival Rupert Byron Giles was an older man, just entering his sixty-seventh year. He had headed the Interplanetary Council of Watchers for twenty years, since the oh so unfortunate demise of predecessor and elder brother, Alexander Rupert Giles III. Where his brother was a tough young man who had spent half his life hunting down Reavers on the border moons, Percival was the intellectual of the two, as proven by the fact that Percival was still living, while his brother's corpse was feeding the crows somewhere.

After a moment of contemplation, Percival responded. "And which of our potentials is the new Chosen One, Weatherby? It is Miss Daniels, is it?"

Weatherby sighed softly in resignation. "No, Director, it's not Miss Daniels. None of our collected potentials was activated upon Miss Hansen's death."

Percival leaped up in shock and outrage. "That's impossible, we gathered all of the potentials in the right range at the Academy. No slayer is activated before the age of twelve, nor after the age of eighteen."

"If I may, Sir?"

Percival nodded, disturbed by Weatherby's strange hesitation. How could this possibly get worse?

"River Tam was still technically eighteen at the time of Hansen's death, Sir. She turned nineteen only fifteen minutes later…"

The Director of the Watchers' Council blanched at the implications. "Are you suggesting to me that the new slayer is a girl who is currently rogue and beyond the reach of the Alliance Government?"

"Yes, Sir…"

Percival nodded in resignation. "Very well then, Weatherby. Send word to every single wet-works squad the Council has on hand that she is to be killed on sight. Then contact every Bounty Hunter you can find and tell her the price is a hundred thousand platinum, dead or alive. Then, contact the Order of Taraka. I want that girl found and eliminated as soon as humanly possible. The last thing the Alliance needs is to have a slayer in the hands of the border planets and their ilk…"

"Yes, of course, Sir. There is just one more thing."

"There always is in this day and age, Weatherby. What is it this time?"

"It's Harris, Sir…"

Percival's countenance darkened to a dangerous shade of puce. "Alexander Lavelle Harris, the same Harris we took out of cryogenic freeze three years ago, the same Harris that we've spent that time reeducating, that specific Harris?"

Weatherby winced at the tone. "Yes, Sir. I'm afraid that I am referring to that Harris, Sir."

"And what, pray tell, do you have to tell me about that Harris, Weatherby?"

"He was informed about the death of the slayer, Director…"

"And the result…?"

"He discovered who the new slayer was…"

"And this matters precisely why, Weatherby? I have little time or patience for guessing games…"

"Harris was furious at what he read in the procedures, Sir. He said that the Council was corrupt and that he was ashamed that we had degraded back to this state again…"

"If he is an issue then end the problem, Weatherby…"

"I intended to, Sir, but…"

"But?"

"He's disappeared, Director. Michaels believes that he may have stowed away on a Council ship that was heading out to quell an incident on Persephone. It's probable that he's already there."

"Add him to the list then, Weatherby. Priority two, just after River Tam. I want that annoyance dealt with before he can reach her."

The aide appeared mildly uncomfortable. "You believe that Harris will seek out Tam, Sir?"

Percival nodded, mildly irritated by the question. Had the man never read Xander Harris' Watcher diaries? "Oh yes, Weatherby. Alexander Harris is a predictable creature. He will seek out and attempt to save the slayer, however foolish such an act would be. That man is a menace of unforeseen proportions. His ways are long dead. I fear that I should have left well enough alone and had Harris die with them. I assure you, I will not make that error again…"

Weatherby nodded sycophantically. "As you say, Sir."

"You're dismissed, Weatherby. Get to work."

"Very good, Sir."

And with that, the aide left the director to his thoughts. "Wherever you are, little Watcher, we will find you and your slayer. I suggest that, when we do, you have the sense to die before I get a hold of you. After all, I intend to take a strip of your flesh in payment for every minute you deny this Council its rightful Chosen One…"

* * *

I hope you enjoy

Jasper


	2. Booking Passage

I don't own Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Firefly. The characters likewise. I'm hoping at least most of my readers catch my reference with the one passenger's name.

* * *

 **Booking Passage**

 _Persephone, Mid Rim World_  
 _December 18th, 2518_

The one-eyed man was a frightening customer. That was the only truth Kaylee Frye could be certain of as she watched the fellow stalk about with the calm grace of a jungle cat that was searching for prey. He was searching for a ship to book passage on, she could tell that much. Still, Kaylee wasn't sure if Serenity was that hard-up for coin. The man, as previously stated, looked rough. Still, there was a humanistic twinkle in his eye that had not been present in Early. Early had nearly ruined her for strangers entirely. Luckily the Captain had been there for her to help her upgrade ship's security… to help her feel safe again, aboard Serenity…

Which brought her back to whether or not to approach the man in question. He was just the sort of man that Simon disapproved of, but then she figured that she was the only thing on the Rim that Simon did approve of. Besides, this was a passenger, not a crew-member. It didn't matter if Simon approved. What mattered was if the guy was safe and had coin to burn…

Finally, after much debating, Kaylee decided to approach him. The man was obviously looking to go somewhere and the Captain had said they needed the extra coin all the more these days. Even with the Alliance off their back, the simple fact of the matter was that over half of their friendlier contacts were either dead, gone to ground or unwilling to talk to them anymore. The Operative's purge had been devastating.

With a wide and friendly grin, Kaylee approached him. He was an odd contrast of eye-hurting colours that would have made Wash smile and rough and ready ruggedness that would have made Mal want to recruit him as a Browncoat back in the days before she had joined the crew.

"Hi there. You lookin' to book passage to anywhere in particular?" She paused and gestured at her girl. "This here's Serenity, and she's the fastest ride to Boros for anybody who can pay…" A chill went through her as she spoke that line. She remembered it. She had said that same line, on this exact planet, in this exact landing slip to an elderly Shepherd who would join their crew for nearly a year. A Shepherd who was now dead, killed defending his flock from a ravening pack of government-sponsored wolves. Kaylee shuddered in remembrance.

If the one-eyed man was aware of Kaylee's disturbing remembrances he gave no sign of it. Rather his one brown eye seemed to flash with a mild amusement, as if he was recalling some long-forgotten memories. "You're going to Boros?" The man's face split in a grin that took years off his face, again reminding Kaylee of Wash. She hoped fervently that this wouldn't set Zoë back. Wash's death was still something of a raw wound. "That's just excellent. Boros is the next stop in my search."

Kaylee perked up with curiosity. "Search? For what? Maybe we might be able to help."

The man grinned grimly for a moment. "I fear that some associates of mine misplaced one of their assets and I am attempting to find it before they do. They have a method of doing business that I don't particularly approve of. I am hoping to retrieve the asset in question and keep it in better working order then they would prefer. Their lot don't appreciate it when their toys go astray."

Kaylee frowned briefly. Something about the way the man described the asset bothered her. Still, it was none of her business. "Whatever you say. You got coin to pay passage."

The tight grin became the genuine smile again. "Yes, I've been working to rebuild a couple of the local agencies. They apparently had a bit of trouble with Reavers, if you can believe it. Anyway, they paid me quite well for my work. I am quite confident that I can pay for passage."

Kaylee nodded in satisfaction. "I'm Kaylee Frye, ship's engineer. And you are?"

The single brown eye twinkled with an irony that she couldn't place or understand. "The name is Marx, my dear. Zeppo Marx…"

Another nod from Kaylee followed as she lead Mr. Marx aboard to join the three other passengers who were already aboard. The only thing that, perhaps, gave her pause was the large crate that he had lifted aboard by a couple of local cargo loaders. The crate reminded her all too well of Simon's initial voyage with Serenity. Granted, it wasn't a cryo-container. It was just a well built shipping crate. Still, why would someone searching for a missing asset need quite that much luggage?

Kaylee wasn't sure, but she was sensing far too many parallels to that transport trip over a year ago. The trip that made two passengers and one piece of cargo into crew, while the third passenger was left dying on a Rim World. No, Kaylee did not like the connotations at all…

I am, as yet, undecided as to who to 'ship Xander with. I can make a case for River, Zoe or Inara easily. Xander will not be 'shipping with Kaylee. Think Willow, without the magic, when you think Kaylee.

* * *

Hope you all enjoy...

Jasper


	3. Of Bad Preachers and Naughty Kittens

I don't own Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Firefly. The characters likewise. They belong to Joss Whedon.

* * *

 **Of Bad Preachers and Naughty Kittens**

 _Galley, Serenity  
December 21st 2518_

"You saw too much…"

Xander looked up, carefully covering the angry outburst that welled within him at that declaration. Finally he met the eyes of the strange little pilot that had walked into the dining area while he was snacking on a rather disgusting wedge of protein. What he wouldn't have given for a single damned Twinkie. "I suppose I did."

River smiled faintly. "Saw too much of the bad preacher's plans and wouldn't stay silent like a good little kitten. Acted the naughty kitten and shattered the silence with your cold, hard truths. And so the preacher said unto thee 'an eye for an eye'."

Xander calmly met the pilot's gaze, giving nothing away. The girl was a fascinating mixture of Drusilla and Buffy in her personality, with a little Faith thrown in at odd times. Xander fought hard to suppress an internal wince as he thought desperately on what to do. This new slayer was also a seer, which complicated matters badly. The fact that the crew of this ship seemed highly protective of her was likely good and bad.

"Can't decide what to do. Difficult to watch with half your sight gone. Seeing half of what you could before and yet still more then most…"

Xander sighed. She already knew who and what he was. He supposed that made life both more and less difficult. He just thanked the fates that he had been the one to deal with Dana. Certainly she had been a challenging slayer to watch, but his experience with her had likely prepared him for the very worst things he could imagine. That girl had really been screwed up. "Seeing is vastly underrated. You never really appreciate it until it's taken from you."

* * *

 _Bridge, Serenity  
December 21st 2518_

Malcolm Reynolds sat at the console, Wash's console, staring out at the stars as they passed by. The new passengers seemed benign enough but he knew better then to believe they were benign. The Shepherd, the Doc and the Fed had taught him that lesson in spades. He suddenly felt a presence slipping up behind him. He didn't react. He had been expecting her. "Report."

Zoe Washburne stood behind Mal with the stoic calm of the professional soldier that she had always been. "The old man, the girl and the accountant seem to be harmless enough, sir. Nothing really jumps out about any of them."

Mal snorted. "Given our past history, those are probably the most dangerous of the bunch. And the guy with the patch?"

Zoe was silent for a long moment. "I don't like him. Something about him bothers me."

Mal had to restrain himself from smirking. With the freshness of Zoe's wounds concerning Wash, what he was going to say might be risky. Still, Zoe had done a lot of healing and it was time to test the waters, as it were. "Given the distinctive lack of facial hair, should I assume that you just dislike Hawaiian shirts?"

Zoe stiffened faintly but managed to stop herself from lashing out at Mal. The Captain knew that talking about Wash still hurt her, but he also made a point of not treating her like she was broken. She respected that about him. Finally she thought back to the passenger in question and acknowledged that the Captain's pronouncement was rather amusing and truthful. The last person to bother her, like that Marx character did, had indeed been Wash. Still, Zoe didn't laugh. She had a reputation to maintain. "It's not his shirt, sir. It's River. She's taken a great deal of interest in him."

Mal froze up briefly. "She ain't freaking out, is she? Goin' all spaced out like she does when things are all about to go belly up?"

Zoe shook her head calmly. "She's talking like she usually does, all in circles. She's currently talking to the guy about how he lost his eye."

Mal snorted in response. "How'd it happen? He try to shoot someone's mechanic?" Zoe's silence was telling and made Mal nervous. "He didn't, did he? Coz if that's so then I'm putting him through the airlock now and to hell with what he's paying us. I am not going through that again. One Dobson was enough…"

Zoe's voice was chilling. "According to River he saw too much… And bad preacher said unto him, 'an eye for an eye'…"

Mal shuddered. "Oh, ain't that all manner of creepy."

Zoe appeared unmoved, at least on the surface. "River's not acting out around him, but I thought her unnatural interest in the man was noteworthy, especially since the guy seems to take it in stride."

Mal nodded. "Keep an eye on this, Zoe. I don't want any surprises on this flight."

* * *

 _Guest Quarters, Serenity_  
December 21st 2518

The assassin smiled broadly as he slowly put together the energy weapon that he had smuggled aboard the ship in pieces. He normally didn't allow telling expressions to cross his face, but this was a special occasion.

The man had been contracted to kill Alexander Harris, of the Interplanetary Watchers' Council. He had spent a fair bit of time tracking down the elusive Watcher, positively shocked that a one-eyed man could blend so well. And then he'd hit pay dirt. He'd literally almost walked into the man on Persephone. Normally the assassin would have struck right away, but something had held him back. Now he was glad he had waited. He had Harris alone, on a sparsely-populated ship and he was within spitting distance of River Tam as well. There was nothing quite like a double payday.

He did not send a signal to the Alliance, to the Council or even to his own superiors. Any Captain worth his salt would be monitoring for such things and it would not do to prematurely alert anyone to his presence. He already had assurances of payment and that was all that he needed. He could transmit to his heart's content once the targets, and any witnesses, were dead.

The assassin snapped the last piece into place on his energy weapon. "There. All done. Now it's just a matter of time before I get to collect. We've been waiting for many centuries for someone to put out a new contract on you, Mr. Harris. Nobody crosses the Order of Taraka."

* * *

Xander, an assassin, and that's just two of the four passengers. Who are the others? You'll see...

Jasper


End file.
